I am thinking about buying a magnum mauser action with a classic h&h side mount for 20mm rings (have a good deal). Will have it built in .450 Rigby.

What 20mm (1 inch) scope would you reccomend? Eye relief must be good as well as Field of view.

1" is 25.4mm so I assume that number was a typo.

Leupold VX3 1.5-5x should fit the bill. Have one on my 458 Lott.

I believe he meant a 20mm objective....it lost something in translation :-)

There are 20mm objective lenses and 20mm rail mounts for scope rings. Could it be one, the other, or both?

A leupold compact M8-2 (its actually 2.5X). One inch tube, compact, good clear glass, good field of view and as bomb proof as any scope made.

The Leupold vx-3 1.5-5 did not last 50 rounds on my 450 Rigby before being sent back to the factory. Large black specks began floating around the scopes field of view.

On any thing over a .458 or maybe a 458 Lott I would only use a 2.5 Leupold compact...but then after trashing some high dollar scopes I prefer a receiver sight as shots on game ment for that kind of a rifle seldom if ever over 200 yards and more likely 50 yards.

Going for the new Aimpoint micro h2.. Robust and so light it will not be subjected to much force...

I think something like a NightForce NXS 1-4×24 30 mm tube would be in order . I love SWFA scopes but NightForce NXS may be tougher.
Plus it HSS an illuminated reticle. Something I consider mandatory on a hunting scope any more.
Why the 1" tube mandate ??

I have a Leupold VX-3 1.5-5x on my 375hh, 416Rigby and 450Rigby.

You may find many of the scopes suggested will be too short to work with the ring spacing you will have with those mounts on a magnum action. The Nightforce scope is extremely short and speaking from experience if your ring is close to the front lens it will shatter. I would watch ebay in hopes of finding one of the older Zeiss 1 inch Diavari scopes in 1.25x4. They are long tubed, sturdy but unfortunately out of production and rare on the secondary market.

I'm guessing that the 20mm refers to the objective lens on a 1" straight tube scope. If this is so, it would be hard to beat an old Leupold 3X. They are great on eye relief and have adequate tube length for almost any positioning. I find them bright and the power is more than adequate but still having generous field of view. Good luck...

Leupold 2.5 Compact ...I have one on Classifieds now..New in unopened box..Matte and Heavy Duplex..Light..STRONG ...Longer eye relief of approx 5"+ so no scope cuts!
I have used these on my 50/110,500Jeffery,505 Gibbs and my .600's!

Interesting conversation here.

It seems some of the small Leupolds are staying together while others aren't making it.

I recently mounted a Leupold 4x compact on my 460 Weatherby in some Talley rings and I'm wondering if it will survive. Again, I don't hunt with it, I just enjoy pulling the trigger and making holes in things.

I'm also wondering if the KDF brake will will help it stay together or hurt it. Any and all opinions are welcomed.

The Straight powers have no moving parts so they tend to work much better...plus your brake definitely helps in your favor ....The Talleys should work depending on which ones....I had a LW 460 on glass stock no brake that sheared base screws so I went to 8-40s...and out a brake on it..Problem solved!

I use VX3's, 1.5 x 5, on my Africa rifles, including 375 and 458 Lott. I'm guessing that they might be the most popular in Africa. That said, I can understand the argument in favor of a fixed power. The Lott has about 200 rounds, no problems.

The 2.5X Leupold compact had the adjustments set back under the outside adjustments to make them work on big bore rifles...I have trashed too many scopes to use any other scope on big bores...Many scopes will last about 250 rounds before they crash, thus folks being satisfied with them, few folks, if the truth were known ever shoot the big big bores that many times. In fact I have never seen a used big bore with a shot out barrel or even one with a worn throat.

I have 2.5x Leupold compacts on my 470 Nitro and my 505 Gibbs. I have fired a few hundred rounds with the 470 and over a thousand rounds with the 505. I have had no problems with them at all, and these are both heavy recoiling rifles. I have both the heavy duplex (on the 470) and the normal duplex (on the 505), and I prefer the normal duplex, but they both work exceptionally well even as close as 10 yards.

Another vote for the Leupold 2.5 compact. Though I don't have it on a nitro express chambered gun I do have it on a M1895 .45-70 that has been subjected to more then a few hot bear loads. Either way it's an excellent little scope.

I used the 3X Leupold on my 458 Lott and my 505 Gibbs IMP. and they ruined the 3X and every other high dollar scope I put on them sooner or later, Leupold was the only company that repaired them at no cost, but even they gave up and sent me my my first 2.5 Compact, I shortly thereafter bought another, and never had another problem..but after awhile realized I got by just as well with iron sights, either a peep or barrel mounted as I never shot anything beyond 200 yards with either and only then one or two that I recall. 98% were shot at under 50 yards, so unless you intend to hunt elk and deer, perhaps PG, with those big bores I see no need for a scope on them as they are DGRs only as far as I'm concerned, other than an ocassional Hartbeest, Impala or whatever for camp meat and they are so plentiful that a close shot was always available..Just my two bits.

Some folks love big bores and hunt everything from rabbits to Brown bear, and elephants with them, and for them the 2.5 Compact would be my choice.

The Nikons will withstand 50 caliber recoil. Michael McCourrey still hasn't broken one with his daily big bore shooting.

I like the Nikon 2-8 Monarch Compact for the big CZ actions. it works fine on hot-loaded 416Rigbys. However, if you can get the Czech CZ single-piece mounts you can use the Nikon Inline 3-9 with 5" eye-relief throughout.

I have a Nikon Slughunter 1.6-5 power on my Ruger Hawkeye 500AccRel. It, too, has 5" eye-relief throughout and sits in the extended Ruger rings.

Anyway, Nikon is a great scope because you won't have to send it in for repair from the African bush. Plus the glass is crisp and bright and the eye-relief superb. And the prices are quite reasonable, typically $200-$400 for these big bore scopes.

What is the equivalent scope to the Leupold Compact today? Did Leupold eliminate it from the lineup or has it just been renamed?

Is sales volume so low, Nikon and Leupold dropped their DGR scopes from production? Who makes replacement models for these scopes today?

The current name is the FX II.

I've used leupold 2.5 compacts on all my .600oks and even bigger for over 15 years. Never ever had one break. Everything else will eventually break! Your call! Seen a lot of scopes break in my time.-Rob

quote:

Originally posted by Cougarz:
The current name is the FX II.

ultralight.

https://www.leupold.com/huntin...ultralight-2-5x20mm/

He means 20 mm obj. I use Leupold 1x4s and 1.5x5s exclusively; never had a problem.

medved,

Thanks for completing the description on the Leupold scope.

Has anybody used the Leupold "FX 2 3X20 Big Bore" model from the Custom Shop?

quote:

Originally posted by Cougarz:
medved,

Thanks for completing the description on the Leupold scope.

not a problem. that is the one i have on my 458 .... and it took me a while to find the actual model .. if it can help others.

quote:

Originally posted by H47:
Has anybody used the Leupold "FX 2 3X20 Big Bore" model from the Custom Shop?

i have the m-8 older version as we cant get the new version in Canada i wont try in fear of breaking it .... but it worked so far on a 375 ruger and 9.3x62 but they are far from big bore ...

I have the 2.5 Ultralight and like it a lot. Only two things are it is only available in matte finish, and it is a bit short for mounting on a long action. Even with extension rings, eye relief adjustment is limited